A 51-year-old man accused of stealing more than $100,000 worth of farming equipment was ordered today to serve three years in prison.

David Mehring, Pingree, N.D., pleaded guilty in Cass County District Court to several theft charges coming from five different counties as part of a plea agreement.

Mehring received concurrent sentences that will require him to serve three years in prison and five years on supervised probation.

He was given credit for 197 days already served in custody and ordered to pay more than $1,000 in restitution. Additional restitution claims may still be made.

When given the chance, Mehring did not address the judge before being sentenced.

Assistant Cass County State’s Attorney Cherie Clark said Mehring preyed on farmers throughout the state. She also credited law enforcement in Clay County, the North Dakota Bureau of Investigation and West Fargo Police Detective Derek Cruff for their work.

Mehring’s defense attorney Mark Beauchene said his client was saving taxpayers a lot of money by pleading guilty rather than forcing each case to go to trial.

“Yes, my client has had many transgressions throughout the state, but he has also accepted responsibility for each and every one of those,” Beauchene said.